The present invention relates to wet wiper products and, more particularly, to a wet wiper product having a liquid preservative composition of both a naturally occurring acid and a naturally occurring salt.
Wet wiper products require preservative properties to destroy or inhibit the growth of various microorganisms, bacteria, yeast, and molds. The use of a chemical preservative agent dispersed or dissolved in a liquid phase of a wet wiper has previously met various disadvantages because the nature of the required chemicals and the complexity of the final liquid phase formulations typically result in harsh or irritating residues being left behind on the skin of the user.
The preservative used in a wet wiper should meet two often competing criteria, namely effectiveness as a preservative and non-irritability in contact with human skin. As resistant strains to commonly utilized preservatives appear, the industry has typically increased usage levels and the number of preservative components in the wet wiper. As more potent strains of preservatives are utilized to achieve the desired effect, skin irritations and allergic reactions are often provoked in the user.
In an attempt to solve these problems, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,615,937 and 4,692,374 to Michael P. Bouchette discloses that a superior wet wiper product can be produced in which the antimicrobial treatment is substantive to the wet wiper fibers. As a result of having the antimicrobial agent substantive to the fibers, no chemicals in the liquid or lotion phase of the wiper are required
As a further improvement, U.S. Pat. No. 4,781,974 to Bouchette et al. discloses a wet wiper that has both a substantive antimicrobial agent on the fibers of the wet wiper product and a second antimicrobial agent, such as an organic acid, in the liquid or lotion phase of the wiper. Moreover, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,732,797 and 4,772,501 to Johnson et al. discloses a wet wiper product that maintains a fibrous wipe in a liquid preservative composition that consists essentially of a mixture of citric acid and sorbic acid, water, and optional ingredients such as skin moisturizers and fragrance compounds. This wet wiper does not leave a harsh or irritating residue on the user's skin.